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Treating organic abulia with bromocriptine and lisuride: four case studies
1Department of Psychiatry, School of Postgraduate Medicine and Biological Science, Stoke on Trent, UK.
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
|August 1, 1991
Summary
This study shows bromocriptine effectively treats abulia, a condition impairing will and action initiation. Dopamine agonists like bromocriptine may offer new treatment options for abulia caused by brain damage.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
Background:
- Abulia is characterized by impaired will and inability to initiate behavior.
- Akinetic mutism, a severe form of abulia, has shown positive responses to bromocriptine treatment.
Observation:
- This study presents four cases of abulia, less severe than akinetic mutism, successfully treated with bromocriptine.
- Causes of abulia included alcohol-induced brain damage, Wilson's disease, and basal ganglia infarct.
Findings:
- All patients showed considerable improvement with bromocriptine doses ranging from 25-70 mg.
- Discontinuation or reduction of bromocriptine led to symptom deterioration in three patients.
- A neuroleptic drug also caused deterioration in one patient, while lisuride effectively treated a depressive relapse in another.
Implications:
- Identifying organic abulia is crucial for effective management.
- Dopamine agonists, such as bromocriptine and lisuride, show promise in treating abulia.
- Further controlled studies are necessary to validate these findings and establish treatment protocols.